HANDHELD STEP LADDERS

 

HANDHELD LADDERS

Ladders are a commonly used in the workplace and at home. It is important to know how to use ladders safely to prevent injuries.

 

MAJOR CAUSES OF LADDER ACCIDENTS:

1) Losing footing on rungs or steps.

2) Failing to grip the ladder properly while climbing.

3) Unsafe position while on a ladder.

4) Placement of ladders on slippery surfaces, causing them to slide.

5) Using defective ladders.

 

INSPECT YOUR LADDER BEFORE CLIMBING:

1) Any defects inside rails, rungs or other similar parts.

 2) Any missing, loose, broken steps or rungs.

 3) Any cracked, split or worn rails or braces.

 4) Any missing or damaged feet.

 5) Any loose nails, screws, bolts or nuts.

6) Any loose or faulty spreaders, locks, and other metal parts in poor condition.

 

Defective ladders should not be used. In the workplace, they should be taken out of service.

Do not make temporary repairs to a ladder.

 

SETUP THE LADDER SAFELY:

1) Clear trash, construction material and other obstructions away from the base of the ladder.

 2) The base of the ladder should be safely secured to prevent movement. Use a ladder with non-slip   feet.

 3) Set up the ladder on a firm, level or non-slippery surface.

 4) The top of the ladder should be tied off or secured to prevent movement. If this is not possible, someone should hold the base of   the ladder when it is being used.

The person at the base of the ladder should face the ladder, with a hand on each side rail and one foot resting on the bottom rung.

 5) When erecting a straight or extension ladder, it should be placed one foot away from the wall for every four feet in extended height, to the point where the ladder touches the wall.

 6) When setting up portable ladders, check the area for live electrical power sources. Ladders made of aluminum should not be used near live electrical power sources.

7) Unless barricades have been set up, ladders should not be used in passageways, doorways, driveways or other locations where they can be struck or displaced by traffic.

 8) Never set up ladders on boxes, carts, tables, or other unstable surfaces.

9) When setting up or carrying long, heavy ladders, two or more people should share the task to avoid injury from overexertion.

 

BEFORE CLIMBING THE LADDER:

 1) Clean, muddy or wet soles of shoes/boots before mounting the ladder.

2) Always face the ladder when climbing up or down, or when working on the ladder. Always maintain a three-point contact when ascending or descending a ladder.

3) Do not carry materials in your hands when climbing a ladder. Raise materials in a hoist or attach them to your belt.

 4) When working from a ladder, keep your center of gravity between the side rails. Reaching out to either side of the ladder changes your center of gravity, which can cause the ladder to become unstable.

LADDER STORAGE:

 1) Store ladders where they are protected from the weather.

 2) Never rest a ladder on any of its rungs. Ladders must rest on their side rails.

 

HOW TO USE A LADDER:

1) Use a stepladder that is about one meters shorter than the highest point you have to reach. This gives a wider, more stable base and places the shelf of the ladder at a convenient working height.

 2) Open the stepladder spreaders and shelf fully and lock them in place before using.

 3) Place the stepladder close to your work area.

4) Avoid pushing or pulling the stepladder from the side. Repeated sideways movement can make ladders wobbly, since they are weaker or less stable in those directions.

5) Face the stepladder when climbing up or down. Keep your body centered between the side rails. You have climbed too high if your knees are above the top of the stepladder or if you cannot maintain a handhold on the ladder.

6) Do not try to "shift" or "walk" a stepladder while standing on it.

7) Do not stand, climb, or sit on the stepladder top or pail shelf.

8) Do not overload the ladder. Stepladders are meant for one person.

9) Do not climb a stepladder that is leaning against a wall. Use a straight ladder instead.

 EXTENTION LADDERS:

 1) Set up an extension ladder so that the upper section rests on the bottom section.

 2) Raise and lower the ladder from the ground. Ensure that the locking ladder hooks are secure before climbing.

 3) Maintain minimum overlap of sections, as shown on ladder label.

 4) Make sure the top of the ladder is resting on a flat surface and doesn’t slide or wobble when you put weight against it.

CLIMBING THE LADDER:

1) When climbing the ladder grab onto the rungs of the ladder using a hand over hand method never letting go of one rung before grabbing the next. Sliding your hands up the beam (side) of a ladder is unsafe because you may not have as secure a grasp as you would when using the rungs to climb with.

2) Use add-on accessories to help stabilize the top of ladders. Rubber or soft plastic "mitts" that slip over the top of the ladder rails provide a good grip on the siding and protect it from ladder damage. Ladder stabilizers are another great add-on accessory. The large rubber pads grip almost any surface to keep the top from slipping sideways and help spread out the load to prevent damage to fragile siding materials like vinyl or aluminum. Stabilizers also span window openings and hold the ladder away from the building to allow work on gutters and overhangs.

3) Level the feet. Note that even with the ladder at the correct angle, it can still tip sideways if the feet aren’t level with each other and on solid ground. It’s unsafe to stack boards under one of the feet to level the ladder. Instead, scrape out a shallow trench under the high-side foot. The claw of a hammer is perfect for this task.

4) Make sure you use the proper shoes, open shoes or sandals are not acceptable.

5) Before climbing a ladder, which is set on the ground, jump up and down on the first rung to firmly plant it in the soil.

6) When you are leaning the ladder against a second story roof or gutters, tie the ladder to roof jacks, clip it to the gutter with bungee cords, or rope it to eyebolts in a 2 x 4 screwed to the fascia. Otherwise, wind can blow the ladder over.

7)  Don't reach off to the side, move the ladder instead.

This will entail climbing down and up again and will take much longer. However, keep in mind that most ladder falls occur when the climber reaches too far to the side.

8) A fully extended ladder is top-heavy. Lower it before moving it or you could lose control of it, especially in the wind.